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Energon Universe - ongoing Transformers and G.I. Joe comics from Skybound
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Well, the missing link between the two is the fact that the AllSpark was originally going to be called "the Energon Cube".
Also, RIBFIR!
The problem is that, other than motivation, the energy crisis didn't really have any effect on the story. For instance, using energy weaponry during an energy shortage crisis seems like a terrible idea; chemical propulsion or melee weapons make way, way more sense.
The Decepticons and Autobots need energy to win the war, but we almost never see how the energy shortage is shaping said war. They still run around like their tanks are always full, even while they're having to scrounge for energy rods and deciding to run off into the galaxy looking for more.
The Decepticons and Autobots need energy to win the war, but we almost never see how the energy shortage is shaping said war. They still run around like their tanks are always full, even while they're having to scrounge for energy rods and deciding to run off into the galaxy looking for more.
Okay, that's fair. I think that could be explained away, but I can see why just doing something else might also be considered the path of least resistance.
Though I will say it feels like having a more wide-reaching goal might make for greater storytelling potential than focusing on a singular object, but that's just me.
In a way, energy seems to have been at the heart of nearly every war in Transformers.
G1 cartoon and Marvel comics: Decepticons want energy resources to empower themselves.
The Headmasters: Decepticons plunder worlds of their energy to empower themselves.
Super-God Masterforce: Devil Z is a literal energy lifeform.
Victory: Deathsaurus wants energy to repower his planet-destroying fortress.
Zone: Violengiguar is after both Energon Z and the planet-creating energy called the Zodiac.
Beast Wars cartoon: Predacons want the energon of prehistoric Earth to power their galactic conquest (until the show changed its mind and saw Megatron wanting to destroy history itself)
Beast Wars Second: Galvatron wants the Angolmois Energy to conquer the universe.
Beast Wars Neo: Magmatron wants the Angolmois Capsules to avenge the homeworld of his ancestors being destroyed by Unicron.
Beast Machines: Megatron wants to absorb the power of Cybertron's sparks into himself to attain godhood
Car Robots: Gigatron initially wants energy resources to power up his mobile base. Once that's done, he's searching for something of great power hidden within the Earth. Something that will enable him to physically harness the power of the human soul itself so that he can change the stagnate fate of the Cybertronian race.
Robots in Disguise (2001): In the English dub, however, Megatron just wants to take over the world and plunder Earth of its resources to power his conquest
Armada cartoon and comics: Decepticons want Mini-Cons because of the special power they possess and want to control that energy for themselves
Energon cartoon and comics: Decepticons, Alpha Quintesson, and Unicron all want the energon of Earth and other worlds for each of their own purposes
Cybertron cartoon: Decepticons want the four Cyber Planet Key to seize control of the powerful energy they contain
2007 Movie: Decepticons want the AllSpark because of the almighty power and energy it contains
Animated cartoon: Decepticons want the AllSpark because of the almighty power and energy it contains
Revenge of the Fallen: Decepticons want the shards of the AllSpark because their energy can revive Megatron, and The Fallen wants the Matrix of Leadership because the energy it possesses will power his Great Machine
War for Cybertron video games and Exodus novel: Decepticons want Dark Energon to corrupt Cybertron and empower themselves
Dark of the Moon: Decepticons and Sentinel Prime want the space bridge pillars, which contain a great amount of nigh-mystical energy
Prime cartoon: Decepticons want both energon and Dark Energon.
Fall of Cybertron video game: Decepticons still make use of the Dark Energon they acquired in the first game.
Age of Extinction: Galvatron wants The Seed, whose energy can literally create the stuff that Cybertronians are made of
Robots in Disguise (2015) cartoon: In contrast, this one was more about rounding up criminals, but those Decepticon Hunters that factored into the story during very critical moments sure contained a lot of nigh-mystical power, and were definitely fought over several times.
The Last Knight: Quintessa wants the Staff of Merlin, a device of great life-draining power and energy
Cyberverse: Decepticons want the AllSpark because of the almighty power and energy it contains
Rise of the Beasts: Terrorcons want the Transwarp Key because of the certain power it contains (no spoilers)
G1 cartoon and Marvel comics: Decepticons want energy resources to empower themselves.
The Headmasters: Decepticons plunder worlds of their energy to empower themselves.
Super-God Masterforce: Devil Z is a literal energy lifeform.
Victory: Deathsaurus wants energy to repower his planet-destroying fortress.
Zone: Violengiguar is after both Energon Z and the planet-creating energy called the Zodiac.
Beast Wars cartoon: Predacons want the energon of prehistoric Earth to power their galactic conquest (until the show changed its mind and saw Megatron wanting to destroy history itself)
Beast Wars Second: Galvatron wants the Angolmois Energy to conquer the universe.
Beast Wars Neo: Magmatron wants the Angolmois Capsules to avenge the homeworld of his ancestors being destroyed by Unicron.
Beast Machines: Megatron wants to absorb the power of Cybertron's sparks into himself to attain godhood
Car Robots: Gigatron initially wants energy resources to power up his mobile base. Once that's done, he's searching for something of great power hidden within the Earth. Something that will enable him to physically harness the power of the human soul itself so that he can change the stagnate fate of the Cybertronian race.
Robots in Disguise (2001): In the English dub, however, Megatron just wants to take over the world and plunder Earth of its resources to power his conquest
Armada cartoon and comics: Decepticons want Mini-Cons because of the special power they possess and want to control that energy for themselves
Energon cartoon and comics: Decepticons, Alpha Quintesson, and Unicron all want the energon of Earth and other worlds for each of their own purposes
Cybertron cartoon: Decepticons want the four Cyber Planet Key to seize control of the powerful energy they contain
2007 Movie: Decepticons want the AllSpark because of the almighty power and energy it contains
Animated cartoon: Decepticons want the AllSpark because of the almighty power and energy it contains
Revenge of the Fallen: Decepticons want the shards of the AllSpark because their energy can revive Megatron, and The Fallen wants the Matrix of Leadership because the energy it possesses will power his Great Machine
War for Cybertron video games and Exodus novel: Decepticons want Dark Energon to corrupt Cybertron and empower themselves
Dark of the Moon: Decepticons and Sentinel Prime want the space bridge pillars, which contain a great amount of nigh-mystical energy
Prime cartoon: Decepticons want both energon and Dark Energon.
Fall of Cybertron video game: Decepticons still make use of the Dark Energon they acquired in the first game.
Age of Extinction: Galvatron wants The Seed, whose energy can literally create the stuff that Cybertronians are made of
Robots in Disguise (2015) cartoon: In contrast, this one was more about rounding up criminals, but those Decepticon Hunters that factored into the story during very critical moments sure contained a lot of nigh-mystical power, and were definitely fought over several times.
The Last Knight: Quintessa wants the Staff of Merlin, a device of great life-draining power and energy
Cyberverse: Decepticons want the AllSpark because of the almighty power and energy it contains
Rise of the Beasts: Terrorcons want the Transwarp Key because of the certain power it contains (no spoilers)
I think Michael Bay's live action transformers was to blame; it came out immediately after an oil crisis of it's own, after all. They were more enamored with the idea that human technology was developed from Cybertronians (... maybe?), but that went nowhere and was always a bad idea (like that Star Trek Voyager travels to the 90s story, it robs humanity of it's own accomplishments without any narrative gain).
To be fair, the scale of the Cybertronian war is hard to convey in a movie (although a Furman-esque Infiltration story seems perfectly reasonable for a movie... sans the super energon plot and slowrolling the leaders.)
Also, to be even more fair, many of the best episodes of G1 featured chasing one McGuffin r another, and the Allspark is effectively the Marvel Comics version of the Matrix,.
This is where you lost me. Beast Machines breaks the mold in a few ways, but it begins with Megatron having conquered cybertron. He doesn't "want" anything; he has everything he ever wanted.
Season 2 of Beast Machines changed this status quo, and it ended with Megatron doing [something], but that something wasn't about "energy", but rather it seems to be derived from the lore that Primus divided his spark into many, ceasing to exist and creating his "children" (who then maybe procreated, budded, etc. Although maybe Vector Sigma was part of Primus, and it continued to "cut off" pieces of itself to form new transformers).
Megatron might have sought power.... even godhood, but this isn't "food" or "batteries" or "energon"; it's more or less religious or spiritual in nature.
Long story short: Most transformers series have been science fiction stories of one kind or another, but I think you can argue Beast Machines was science fantasy. "How" took a backseat to narrative progression. Megatron won [somehow] and this newb rebuilt a society by himself [somehow] creating new types of transformers [somehow] and using advanced shell programs [somehow]; using many skills he didn't have in the previous season. At the same time, the allspark [somehow] manipulated the factions to go to Earth in the past to pick up some DNA and bring it to the future (because maybe Cybertron used to be Earth maybe? Hey, I saw The Last Mimzy...) and [somehow] a fusion of plants/animals and "robots" will create a new, thriving society?
In fact, this "science fantasy" bit extends to the maximals "transformations"; which are no longer mechanical, but spiritual in nature and don't need to be animated in a convincing way.
Well, RIB, anyway.
The second issue of Void Rivals came out today. There is...technically ONE reference to Transformers-adjacent material in the issue, on the last page. I don't think anyone will see it coming, though. Guess. Go ahead. I dare you! You will never guess what it is. (I'll put it in spoilers)
Otherwise, this is...a okay issue. This is unfolding VERY slowly for me. But, we do get a little more backstory to these two warring alien factions. And there are some teasers of things that could come in this issue. I feel like they're pacing this a little slower than they should. Maybe they're saving something for a big reveal later. And given some of the teasers...it's possible there's a shoe to be dropped later.
So, yeah...this exists. Personally, I think Astrobots is the better "Not-Transformers" book at the moment, but I'm just here to see where this ride takes me, right now.
Spoiler for the last page in the paragraph below! I warned you!
Otherwise, this is...a okay issue. This is unfolding VERY slowly for me. But, we do get a little more backstory to these two warring alien factions. And there are some teasers of things that could come in this issue. I feel like they're pacing this a little slower than they should. Maybe they're saving something for a big reveal later. And given some of the teasers...it's possible there's a shoe to be dropped later.
So, yeah...this exists. Personally, I think Astrobots is the better "Not-Transformers" book at the moment, but I'm just here to see where this ride takes me, right now.
Spoiler for the last page in the paragraph below! I warned you!
It's the Skuxxoid?! Really?! Okay, that's...random. But, if the Quintessons ARE going to show up later, I guess that makes sense?
tfwiki.net
And...that's it as far as Transformers references go. Jetfire doesn't come back this issue. Unless that "comet" or shooting star in one of the panels earlier was him attempting and failing to leave this rock? Are you coming back, Jetfire? I mean...at this point, maybe Devcon is more likely to show up first?
But, we do get some backstory on this war between these two races here. Apparently, their sun turned into a black hole (...I don't know how their planets survived that, but oh well) and then they seemed to deconstruct their own homeworlds in order to build a Ringworld together, each building half of the new structure. I...guess that stopped their new "Sacred Ring" planet from falling into the black hole. Not a very strong black hole, if that is what it is.
We also learn that one of the races believes in a Goddess-type figure, who they call Zerta, who narrates this history to the guy from the other faction. Given that the font they speak in looks pretty Cybertronian...I'm guessing this "Goddess" is going to turn out to be a female Transformer. And given how Sunbow-leaning this comic has been so far...I'm going to guess it's going to turn out to be Elita-1. I guess it COULD be someone like Windblade, another "cityspeaker" class character, or maybe a Titan...but given the other choices in the comic, I'm still guessing Elita-1, myself. I suppose it COULD be a new character, but...for something like this, I think revealing that it's actually a character that we know would make the most sense.
Also, "The coming of the Goliant draws near!!"...whatever that means. That COULD be a reference to Unicron, I guess. But, I think it's more likely a new villain for the Void Rivals gang. If they're going to get toys, they need a villain of their own. The first thing *I* think of when I hear that name is the Ungoliant from Lord of the Rings (The Primordial Spider).
lotr.fandom.com
But, there DOES seem to be a trend of combining the words "Goliath" and "Giant" to make "Goliant" in other things. Most interestingly...in Kaijudo/Duel Masters. Which I believe Hasbro ALSO owns.
kaijudo.fandom.com
So...could Void Rivals actually be a stealth Kaijudo Duel Masters revival? This comic is already doing crazier things. *shrug*
Also, there's a scene where the crystals on the foreheads of both of these factions are combined. I feel like that's supposed to be significant somehow. I guess the shapes of both crystals SORT of look like general shape of the Autobot and Decepticon logos? Maybe? If you squint?
But, here's a random thought I had: What if BOTH of these races actually evolved from Energon? Like, what if Energon is their primordial ooze? What if these are both races that evolved from Energon that was left out by the Transformers and over the millions of years they've been gone, it changed bacteria that got inside the canisters into these lifeforms? It would potentially explain the crystals in their foreheads. And maybe why there's two factions, one evolved from Energon from a Autobot base and the other on a Decepticon controlled planet. And why this is the "Energon Universe". Both of these races could be basically Energon-creatures. I'm probably wrong, but I think it's a interesting idea.
Skuxxoid - Transformers Wiki
And...that's it as far as Transformers references go. Jetfire doesn't come back this issue. Unless that "comet" or shooting star in one of the panels earlier was him attempting and failing to leave this rock? Are you coming back, Jetfire? I mean...at this point, maybe Devcon is more likely to show up first?
But, we do get some backstory on this war between these two races here. Apparently, their sun turned into a black hole (...I don't know how their planets survived that, but oh well) and then they seemed to deconstruct their own homeworlds in order to build a Ringworld together, each building half of the new structure. I...guess that stopped their new "Sacred Ring" planet from falling into the black hole. Not a very strong black hole, if that is what it is.
We also learn that one of the races believes in a Goddess-type figure, who they call Zerta, who narrates this history to the guy from the other faction. Given that the font they speak in looks pretty Cybertronian...I'm guessing this "Goddess" is going to turn out to be a female Transformer. And given how Sunbow-leaning this comic has been so far...I'm going to guess it's going to turn out to be Elita-1. I guess it COULD be someone like Windblade, another "cityspeaker" class character, or maybe a Titan...but given the other choices in the comic, I'm still guessing Elita-1, myself. I suppose it COULD be a new character, but...for something like this, I think revealing that it's actually a character that we know would make the most sense.
Also, "The coming of the Goliant draws near!!"...whatever that means. That COULD be a reference to Unicron, I guess. But, I think it's more likely a new villain for the Void Rivals gang. If they're going to get toys, they need a villain of their own. The first thing *I* think of when I hear that name is the Ungoliant from Lord of the Rings (The Primordial Spider).
Ungoliant
Ungoliant (Sindarin; IPA: [uŋˈɡoljant]) was a primordial taking the shape of a gigantic spider. She was initially an ally of Melkor in Aman, and for a short time in Middle-earth as well. She was a distant mother of Shelob, and the oldest and first giant spider of Arda. The true origin of...
lotr.fandom.com
But, there DOES seem to be a trend of combining the words "Goliath" and "Giant" to make "Goliant" in other things. Most interestingly...in Kaijudo/Duel Masters. Which I believe Hasbro ALSO owns.
Raging Goliant
kaijudo.fandom.com
So...could Void Rivals actually be a stealth Kaijudo Duel Masters revival? This comic is already doing crazier things. *shrug*
Also, there's a scene where the crystals on the foreheads of both of these factions are combined. I feel like that's supposed to be significant somehow. I guess the shapes of both crystals SORT of look like general shape of the Autobot and Decepticon logos? Maybe? If you squint?
But, here's a random thought I had: What if BOTH of these races actually evolved from Energon? Like, what if Energon is their primordial ooze? What if these are both races that evolved from Energon that was left out by the Transformers and over the millions of years they've been gone, it changed bacteria that got inside the canisters into these lifeforms? It would potentially explain the crystals in their foreheads. And maybe why there's two factions, one evolved from Energon from a Autobot base and the other on a Decepticon controlled planet. And why this is the "Energon Universe". Both of these races could be basically Energon-creatures. I'm probably wrong, but I think it's a interesting idea.
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Based on and the sketchbook released at SDCC, everything is still firmly in the realm of the G1 cartoon.
October solicitations are out, so we now know that the first Transformers issue is planned to release on October 4!
www.previewsworld.com
www.previewsworld.com
TRANSFORMERS #1 CVR A JOHNSON (AUG230407)
SERIES PREMIERE THE ALL NEW TRANSFORMERS ERA STARTS HERE! Superstar creator DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON (DO A POWERBOMB, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth), alongside ENERGON UNIVERSE showrunner ROBERT KIRKMAN (VOID RIVALS, INVINCIBLE), reimagines Hasbro's robots in disguise for a brand-new generation. Optimus...
www.previewsworld.com
VOID RIVALS #5 CVR A DE FELICI (AUG230585)
"EXPLORE THE ENERGON UNIVERSE! When Darak and Solila's return to the Sacred Ring doesn't go as planned, a new danger enters their lives!"
www.previewsworld.com
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Anyone want to lay odds on how long till the Quintessons show up in Void Rivals?
After the cameo of you know who in issue 2 that just feels like it has to happen at some point.
-ZacWilliam, that could also see Chaos
After the cameo of you know who in issue 2 that just feels like it has to happen at some point.
-ZacWilliam, that could also see Chaos
Given the cover of the very next issue?
I'd say there's....2 to 1 odds the Quintessons show up in issue 3 in some manner.
I'd say there's....2 to 1 odds the Quintessons show up in issue 3 in some manner.
Dammit, why do forums these days seem to save my text every time I click away for any reason, but not when there's a power surge?
Anyway, back to retyping what I was saying before...
This sounds kinda like the same thing we've been getting the last several iterations of Transformers to me. That doesn't mean it'd be bad, just... I dunno. I'm not really seeing a hook that grabs me here.
In comics, we've had:
Dreamwave: Continues from where Season 2 of G1 left off and fills in between it and the movie (and was the first new TF comic in like, a decade).
IDW: "These robots are really in disguise this time!"
IDW2: Pre-war Cybertron stuff.
I dunno, I just feel like I need more than the
as a hook here. Or being part of a big, new universe with no one we know in it yet.
I feel like I had more to say or better points, but then the damn power surge ate my homework. Bleh.
Anyway, back to retyping what I was saying before...
Hm...October solicitations are out, so we now know that the first Transformers issue is planned to release on October 4!
TRANSFORMERS #1 CVR A JOHNSON (AUG230407)
SERIES PREMIERE THE ALL NEW TRANSFORMERS ERA STARTS HERE! Superstar creator DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON (DO A POWERBOMB, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth), alongside ENERGON UNIVERSE showrunner ROBERT KIRKMAN (VOID RIVALS, INVINCIBLE), reimagines Hasbro's robots in disguise for a brand-new generation. Optimus...VOID RIVALS #5 CVR A DE FELICI (AUG230585)
"EXPLORE THE ENERGON UNIVERSE! When Darak and Solila's return to the Sacred Ring doesn't go as planned, a new danger enters their lives!"
This sounds kinda like the same thing we've been getting the last several iterations of Transformers to me. That doesn't mean it'd be bad, just... I dunno. I'm not really seeing a hook that grabs me here.
In comics, we've had:
Dreamwave: Continues from where Season 2 of G1 left off and fills in between it and the movie (and was the first new TF comic in like, a decade).
Armada, which was something new and different at the time.
IDW: "These robots are really in disguise this time!"
IDW2: Pre-war Cybertron stuff.
I dunno, I just feel like I need more than the
Skuxxoid
I feel like I had more to say or better points, but then the damn power surge ate my homework. Bleh.
Going PURELY by what they've been saying in interviews...yeah, there's not a lot to get hyped about.
But, knowing Daniel Warren Johnson's other work...I think this is going to be more unique than they're letting on. He has a certain "energy" to his work. I think it'll be interesting. Honestly, going by his other work, I'm almost expecting something a little closer to G2.
For example:
...Personally, I think we're in for something a bit more interesting than JUST a Sunbow re-imagining. Maybe. *shrugs*
But, knowing Daniel Warren Johnson's other work...I think this is going to be more unique than they're letting on. He has a certain "energy" to his work. I think it'll be interesting. Honestly, going by his other work, I'm almost expecting something a little closer to G2.
For example:
...Personally, I think we're in for something a bit more interesting than JUST a Sunbow re-imagining. Maybe. *shrugs*
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Here's hoping, but I'm holding out for a trade.
Unless the reception just totally blows the roof off this place.
Unless the reception just totally blows the roof off this place.